Sound producing device or rattle



1933- M. H. LARRABEE SOUND PRODUCING DEVICE 0R BATTLE Filed Feb. 18, 1956 9 M ATT ORNEYS Patented Nov. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIE 2 Claims.

This invention has for its object a sound producing device or rattle, which is particularly simple and economical in construction, and highly eflicient or desirable, as a baby rattle or a table servants bell and the like.

The invention consists in the sound producing device or rattle and in the novel features of construction hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to 10 the accompanying drawing in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a side elevation of a rattle embodying my invention.

15 Figure 2 is a sectional view on line 22, Figure 1.

This sound producing device or rattle comprises, generally, a straight resonator body having a handle at one end, a rocking member ex- 20 tending transversely through the body near the handle end thereof, hammers mounted on opposite sides of the rocking member and arranged to strike, upon shaking of the body by the handle, opposite sides of the resonator body.

25 I designates the body, which is preferably formed of wood. The bodyis preferably straight and is provided with a suitable handle 2 at one end and also preferably with a rounding knob 3 at its other end. The body is also formed with 30 an intermediate thin flat portion against which the hammers, to be described, strike.

4 is a rocking member, preferably a small block of wood, extending transversely through a slot 5 formed in the body adjacent the handle and 35 fulcrumed or pivotally mounted at 6 therein.

1 and 8 are hammers carried by opposite ends of the block 4, these extending upwardly or at an angle to the block 4 into a position, whereby their heads 9 and ID are opposed to opposite faces 40 of the flattened portion of the resonator body. The hammers are also preferably formed of wood.

As here illustrated, the flattened resonator body is divided into two reedlike sections of dif- 45 ferent widths by a slot H extending lengthwise of the body I from the slot 5. The hammers 1 and 8 are arranged with their heads out of alinement in position to strike against the sections or reeds respectively, the hammer 1 striking against the wider section and the hammer 8 against the narrower section.

As this rattle is designed primarily as a baby rattle, the heads 9, I and the knob 3 are all rounded, in order not to injure the baby, if it bites or mouths the different portions of the rattle. Also, as the rattle is made of wood, usually a hard wood, it is easily cleaned.

Owing to its construction, it also produces a 10 tinkling or musical sound and the reed portions of different widths produce different tones.

The rattle can also be used as a servants bell or for any other purpose.

What I claim is:

1. A sound producing device comprising a substantially straight resonator body having a handle at one end, the body having a thin flattened -portion beyond the handle, a rocking member extending transversely through the body and fulcrumed on the body, hammers carried by the rocking member and extending at an angle thereto into positions opposed to the opposite sides of the flattened member, whereby upon shaking of the body, the hammers alternately strike opposite sides of the flattened portion, said flattened portion being slotted in a direction lengthwise thereof, the slot dividing the flattened portion into reedlike sections of different width, and the hammers being arranged to strike respectively on said sections, whereby difierent tones are produced by the hammers striking the different sections.

2. A sound producing device comprising a resonator body having a handle at one end and a transverse slot adjacent the handle, a rocking member extending through the slot and fulcrumed therein, hammers carried on opposite ends of the rocking member and extending upwardly into a position opposed to the opposite sides of the body, the body having a thin flattened portion slotted lengthwise thereof from the former slot dividing the body into reedlike sections of different widths, and the hammers being arranged to strike said sections respectively.

MARSHAL H. LARRABEE. 

